Kmet and Claypool Go High In Latest ESPN Mock Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft is getting closer and closer, and more and more analysts are getting close to their final mocks. In the latest from ESPN analyst Todd McShay, a pair of former Irish pass catchers will go in the second round of the upcoming draft.
McShay has tight end Cole Kmet being selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 44 overall selection. Kmet is the only tight end to go in the first two rounds, establishing him as the clear top player at his position according to McShay.
“Finally, a tight end comes off the board. The Colts already have Jack Doyle in the locker room, but they also lost Eric Ebron, and Philip Rivers loves finding his tight ends. Kmet can make the tough, contested catches.”
Doyle caught 43 passes for 448 yards and four touchdowns last season, which was his seventh in the NFL. An undrafted free agent, Doyle has 243 career receptions for 2,176 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 2019 season was his first with over 10.0 yards per reception. His best season was 2017, when Doyle hauled in 80 passes for 690 yards (8.6 YPC).
Kmet would give the Colts a boost in athleticism and pass catching prowess, and also a much younger player at the position, with Doyle set to turn 30 in May. The former Irish standout would not only replace Ebron - who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason - he would give the Colts a player with far more potential than what it currently has on the roster.
McShay has the Buffalo Bills taking wide receiver Chase Claypool with the No. 54 overall pick.
“Claypool brings size to a wide receiver group already flush with downfield threats in Stefon Diggs and John Brown. Now Josh Allen has a tall target to find in the red zone too. Claypool has the hands and strength to make contested catches look easy.”
This is a very interesting fit for the former Irish standout. Diggs is Buffalo’s biggest wide receiver at 6-0 and 191 pounds. Brown is just 5-11 and 178 pounds, and Cole Beasley is just 5-8 and 174 pounds.
Tight end Dawson Knox - a third-round pick from the 2019 draft - caught just 28 passes for 388 yards and two scores last season, so adding Claypool would not only give Buffalo another big player, it would give them a big player with more speed and down the field ability.
Allen has a huge arm at quarterback, but the knock on him has been a lack of ideal accuracy. Claypool showed in 2019 that he can thrive with a relatively inaccurate quarterback. He would present Allen with a huge catch radius, and the young quarterback could end up becoming quite enamored with the former Irish star.
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